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Gredenism
Gredenism is a polytheistic religion of Raidenoff. It is centered around a group of gods (the "Greden"), each of whom is the master of one of the Gredenic elements: light, water, air, stone, leaf, and soul. The Greden are believed to speak through a variety of sources, and books throughout the Gredenic world collect quotations that are said to hold the gods' philosophies. Gredenism is currently popular in Amitrea; the Gredenic heartland includes Creofan and Lorganel, and even stretches into some parts of Pierroge before Heplian-majority areas win out. It is not enforced as the state religion of any nation, although Batr Folat enforced it before the union of Lorganel. Theology Gredenism believes in a pantheon of six gods. Saartha, the goddess of light, is believed to circle the heavens daily, bringing her children (the sun and moon) with her in turn. Deleka, the goddess of water, is believed to have created the oceans to separate the Gredenists from "savages." Toris, the god of air, is believed to fill living beings with passion and enthusiasm. Jagram, the god of stone, is believed to have taught humans to work metal and create tools. Heltor, the god of leaf, is believed to be a trickster who ensnares animals and creates poisons, but is benevolent towards humans. Yamor, the goddess of soul, is believed to have created humans and animals. There are three active sects of Gredenism. Folatic Gredenism, the oldest branch, is most prevalent in modern Lorganel, and it holds Yamor as the ruler of the Greden. Keni Gredenism is most prevalent in the Utrostani peninsula, and it holds Toris as the ruler of the Greden. Reform Gredenism is a smaller sect in the north of Lorganel and the south of Pierroge, that sees the gods as equals. Beginnings Gredenism is believed to have started in the region that became Batr Folat, and comparisons of the Gredenic and Dorian calendars put the time of its foundation to about 2017 BT. Gredenism was slow to spread in its early years, but surviving texts from the later years of Utrosto complain of increasing numbers of "Folatic priests" coming from Batr Keni and causing trouble. However, when Utrosto collapsed, Capazar founding father Egidio Calcano was a Keni Gredenist, and his faith was a major cause of Gredenism's spread. Gredenism gradually grew to dominate much of non-Destevial Amitrea (which was Prannic), although they were never able to get significant following outside of the continent. Gredenic conflict After the Lorgane batret divided, Batr Folat became increasingly fundamental and entrenched in its Gredenism, and began to view Keni Gredenism as a heresy. This led to tension between the Folatic and Capazar governments— another factor was Capaza's earlier annexation of Batr Keni, despite the fact that Batr Keni itself was the basis of Keni Gredenism. Some Folatic leaders nursed hopes of being able to conquer Capaza in the name of "true" Gredenism, but until Matthias V in the third century BT, none could amass a significant enough army to press their claim. Matthias V initiated the Gredenic War in 251 BT, and he managed to capture the former Keni land for Batr Folat by 242. However, this victory was fairly short-lived; the land under a foreign power caught the eye of Creofani rulers, and so Ordonio XI of Creofan conquered Batr Keni by the end of the century. The fallout from this conflict caused Gredenism to wane in favor of Yevism, which saw a boom in the second century BT; ultimately, Reform Gredenism would be founded by Batr Folat's Hieronymus II in 117, as a push to restore the faith's reputation. Recent history The arrival of Heplianism from the north has also challenged Gredenism, but Heplianism has had minimal spread beyond the Saltsmoke Desert region, so Gredenism has remained strong in its heartlands. The development of Rotaheplianism has been of particular interest to Gredenic theologians, some of whom credit the Greden as inspiring the Rotaheplian pantheon of "beasts." The spread of Heplianism also put to rest one of the major Gredenic controversies— for centuries, Pierrogic monarchs claimed to be direct representatives of Toris, a philosophy questioned by Lorgane authorities and flatly rejected by Keni Gredenists. However, Fabien XI of Pierroge renounced his connection to Toris when he converted to Heplianism in 257 DR. Although other Pierrogic monarchs would be Gredenists, they would follow Fabien's precedent of not claiming personal connection to any one god. Trivia *Although Reform Gredenism is the official religion of Lorganel, Folatic Gredenism is the most popular. *Keni Gredenism is the most popular religion in Creofan. *Reform Gredenism and Heplianism fluctuate as for the most popular religion in Pierroge. (Classical Heplianism and Rotaheplianism, if counted together, have been more prevalent since 596.) Category:Religions